That leaping dolphin, one of the most beloved animals of the South Carolina coast, might be dying off in front of our eyes.
Nobody knows how many are really out there. More dolphins are dying tangled up in yards of crab pot lines and other marine gear. They are backing away from their usual behaviors as beachgoers and boaters crowd them.
The local population of the sea mammals is smaller than many people realize. Some people think the waters around Charleston are home to thousands of dolphins, said Lauren Rust of the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network.
But the last survey by a federal team was done more than a decade ago, in 2008. It found only 350 living in Charleston area waters.
The dolphin, one of the most beloved animals of the South Carolina coast, might be dying off in front of our eyes.https://t.co/LkLFRn19h1
— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) April 7, 2019